Resolve disputes through talks: NHRC

Kathmandu, September 11

The National Human Rights Commission today issued a press statement urging both the government and the protesting forces to resolve disputes through talks.

NHRC has urged the government to immediately withdraw Nepali Army from the Tarai districts and protesters to seek a negotiated settlement of constitutional issues.

NHRC said its high-level team had monitored human rights situation in 20 districts. It said 35 people were killed, hundreds injured and many public and private property damaged and destroyed in these districts. “It was found that date expired tear gas canisters had been used by the security forces,” NHRC said in its statement.

“Injuries of the victims show that the security personnel used excessive force violating national and international principles relating to the use of force.”

NHRC also said that use of sutali bombs, petrol bombs, ammunition and inflammable objects by the protesters and vandalism of police offices and public properties indicated that the agitators are not carrying out their protests peacefully as promised.

The government’s failure to take effective steps toward addressing the issues raised by the agitating forces has  adversely affected the common people, NHRC observed.

It said one after another declaration of riot-hit areas and deployment of Nepali Army had created an environment of fear.

Meanwhile, the Asian Human Rights Commission also issued a press statement expressing concern about the prolonged general strike in the Tarai districts.

“There is severe shortage of essentials and medicines in the Tarai districts. Shops and factories have been closed. Daily wage earners have been facing difficulty managing two meals a day,” AHRC said in its statement. “Protesters have set police stations and government offices on fire. Due to fear of attack, the Armed Police

Force and the Nepal Police have evacuated their bases in the districts of Rautahat, Bara, and Parsa.”

AHRC said locals were refusing to rent their houses to policemen. “Government officials, including judges, are returning to Kathmandu due to continuous attack on government offices by the protesters. The protesters have also targeted Nepali Congress and CPN UML party offices,” AHRC said in its statement. It said that in Parsa, Bara, and Rautahat districts, it found that the police personnel had opened fire and even shot people in the back. The Local Administration Act has laid down steps that need to be taken to control unruly protesters but the police didn’t seem to follow it, AHRC said.

“In none of the protests in the Tarai was tear gas or water cannon used to disperse the mob. Rather the security forces used lathis, and then immediately resorted to live ammunition. This shows the government’s and its security agencies’ discriminatory attitude towards the protesters,” AHRC said in its statement.